Publications by authors named "I Aifantis"

Innate-like splenic marginal zone (MZ) B (MZB) cells play unique roles in immunity due to their rapid responsiveness to blood-borne microbes. How MZB cells integrate cell-extrinsic and -intrinsic processes to achieve accelerated responsiveness is unclear. We found that Delta-like1 (Dll1) Notch ligands in splenic fibroblasts regulated MZB cell pool size, migration, and function.

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Cancer progression involves genetic and epigenetic changes that disrupt chromatin 3D organization, affecting enhancer-promoter interactions and promoting growth. Here, we provide an integrative approach, combining chromatin conformation, accessibility, and transcription analysis, validated by in silico and CRISPR-interference screens, to identify relevant 3D topologies in pediatric T cell leukemia (T-ALL and ETP-ALL). We characterize 3D hubs as regulatory centers for oncogenes and disease markers, linking them to biological processes like cell division, inflammation, and stress response.

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Dysregulation of RNA binding proteins (RBPs) is a hallmark in cancerous cells. In acute myeloid leukemia (AML) RBPs are key regulators of tumor proliferation. While classical RBPs have defined RNA binding domains, RNA recognition and function in AML by non-canonical RBPs (ncRBPs) remain unclear.

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Article Synopsis
  • - Diverse cellular stresses activate heat shock factor 1 (HSF1), which helps manage protein stability and has broader roles in promoting cancer, but its effects on immune cells in tumors are not well understood.
  • - Research using a model of HSF1 activation shows that heightened HSF1 activity in natural killer (NK) cells negatively affects their ability to kill tumors and produce cytokines for immune response.
  • - HSF1 directly influences the expression of important factors for NK cell function, suggesting that understanding its role could improve therapies using NK cells to fight cancer and lead to better treatment combinations.
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